Category: Puppies

Ask Professor Boo is our recurring, positive reinforcement dog training and behavior question and answer column. If there’s a question that you would like to ask Professor Boo, please feel free to contact him.

Q: We’ve just got a new puppy and while he’s got all the rough-around-the-edges things that go along with being a puppy he does one thing that’s driving us crazy: everything becomes a game of tug. If he grabs a pillow off the couch – tug. If he grabs a towel in the bathroom – tug. If he grabs our pants – tug. How can we stop him?

A: First things first: tug is an innate behavior but you can shape and give it rules.

Just what is it tug? In short, you’re seeing a social manifestation of millions of years of their evolution.

As canids evolved and their hunting techniques developed to allow the hunting of larger prey. As a result, tug offered a solution to new issues:

• Bigger prey require a collective effort to take them down
• And, larger prey need to be divided up by the group

At some point one canine grabbed one end of a kill and another canine grabbed the other end and tug was born. What started as a solution to communal hunting and eating became what we see today in dogs as the game of tug.

Teaching your puppy how to tug appropriately is a great foundation skill that addresses:

• Drop-it and leave-it skills
• Self control skills
• Trust and focus
• Practice following rules and boundaries

The Rules of Tug

• Ask your dog for a sit or down
• Engage the game with a cue like “tug” or “take it”.
• Use a toy large enough so that your hands will be clear of the dog’s mouth. I just love the Tennis Tug!
  • I like to use only one or two designated tug toys because this reduces confusion and focuses their tug energies on their Super Special Tug Toy.
• When the dog pulls or shakes side-to-side,
  • You can relax your resistance or drop the toy completely.
  • You can continue the game this way if your back and arm joints are strong enough but – if you’re like me – stick with the straight-on tug.
• When the dog pulls front-to-back or straight-on
  • Keep your resistance on the toy and play the game.
• If the dog’s teeth hit your hand or clothing at any point
  • Drop the toy, fold your arms, and look or even walk away from the dog.
• If the dog’s paws briefly land on you
  • You can choose to do the same look or walk away. If they are using you as a lever with the paws up against your body, drop the toy and look or walk away.
  • The dog will probably come back to you with the toy after something like this.
  • When they do, ask for a sit and restart the game using the cue you’ve chosen.
• If the dog begins tugging any article of clothing
  • Disengage from the dog and give them a time-out from you and the game.

If your dog is a tugger, you will be shocked to see how quickly he/she will learn the rules. Tug is of such high value to most dogs that the game itself becomes a reward for other great behaviors.

Good luck, let me know how it goes, and stay positive!